Load releasing device



April 15, 1952 KNEREM 2,592,577

LOAD RELEASING DEVICE Filed Sept. 15, 1947 IN VEN TOR. Cg/1E1? Hive-E 1 PI ORNEYJ Patented Apr. 15, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOAD RELEASING DEVICE Elmer Knerem, Cleveland, Ohio Application September 13, 1947, Serial No. 773,804

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a load or cargo release mechanism and particularly to a load retaining mechanism which may be quickly and readily operated to instantly release the load.

Load releasing devices of the type with which the present invention is concerned are particularly well adapted for aeronautical use. Not infrequently air transportation is required for objects of a size'which must be carried on the exterior of the airplane. In such instancesit is necessary to provide a load retaining mechanism which will permit jettisoning of the cargo in cases of emergency, as for instance, in case of fuel shortage, adverse weather conditions, emer gency landings and the like. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved load release mechanism which will be simple in operation and which will be arranged to enable instantaneous and positive release of the load.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent from the following description, reference being had to a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The essential features of the invention will be summarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a central vertically extending section through a load release mechanism incorporating this invention, the mechanism being shown in a load-retaining condition; Fig. 2 is a section similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating the mechanism in a load-releasing condition; Fig. 3 is a transverse section as indicated by the lines 3-3 on Fig.1; and Figure 4 illustrates of a modified form of part of the device, being a cross section in the region indicated by the line A-A on Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail and particularly to Fig. 1, it will be seen that my improved load release mechanism includes a body or housing In and a load engaging member H. The body In is arranged to be secured to a support such as the frame of an airplane, while the load engaging member I l is slidably and separably mounted in the body It] and is arranged to be secured to a load l2 as, for instance, by a pin M. The load engaging member I l is illustrated as being a cylindrical plunger which is mounted for axial movement in a vertical plane within a bore I5 formed in the body so that the weight of the load will tend to slide the plunger out of the body. The body may be positioned so that the axis of the plunger is other than vertical as, for instance, when the device is used as a separable connector for gliders and the like.

The load carrying plunger II is normally retained in position within the body Ill by a cylindrical latching bolt Hi. This bolt is slidably mounted in a bore I'l formed in the body In and the axis of which intersects the axis. of the bore l5. In the form illustrated, the bore l1 extends at right angles to the bore IS. The latching bolt I6 is provided with a semispherical head [8 which normally engages a recess l9 formed in the load carrying plunger H to thus latch the plunger in position in the body 10 and retain engagement of the load carried thereby.

The latching bolt I6 is retained in its active or load engaging position by a plunger 20. This plunger is mounted in a bore 2| formed in the body Ill with its axis intersecting the axis of the latching bolt IS. The arrangement is such that the wall of the plunger 20 engages the end 22 of the latch 16 and prevents axial movement thereof.

The plunger 20 is moved axially to disengage the latch l6. As illustrated, the upper end of the bore 2| is enlarged as at 23 forming a cylinder to receive an enlarged head or piston 24 carried by the upper end of the plunger 20. A fluid seal, comprising a rubber or leather cup 25 is positioned atop the plunger and retained thereagainst by a disc 26 and a spring 21 which is interposed between the disc and a threaded plug 28 which closes the upper end of the cylinder 23.

The plug 28 is provided with a passageway 29 to admit fluid under pressure through a conduit 30 which may be secured in place on the plug 28 by a coupling member 3|.

To release the load, the operator, by manipulation of a suitable fluid pressure control, admits fluid under pressure to the cylinder 23 above the piston 24, causing the piston and the associated plunger 20 to move downward in the bore 2| against the action of a spring 32, which normally retains the plunger 20 in its uppermost position. The downward movement of the plunger 20 causes a recess 33 in the wall thereof to align with the hemispherical end 22 of the latch l6, whereupon a spring 34, encircling the latch, moves the end 22 of the latch into the recess 33 and the other end [8 thereof out of latching engagement with the load carrying plunger I I, whereupon such plunger drops from the body under influence of gravity, as indicated in Fig. 2, thus freeing the load.

Should the plunger ll fail to release cons quent upon withdrawal of the latch it, it may be forcibly ejected under control of the operator. As shown in the drawing, the bore 15 extends above the plunger H and is closed at its upper end by a closure plug 35, thus forming a chamber 36. An electrically detonated cartridge 4| is positioned within the chamber 36 with its control conduit passing through the closure 35 in the usual manner. Accordingly, should the load plunger ll fail to discharge itself from the body, the operator may close an electric circuit to the cartridge, thus forcibly ejecting the plunger from the body [0.

The device is reset by insertion of a new load plunger ll while the plunger 20 is in its lowermost position (Fig. 2). The plunger 29 is then raised manually by means of a knob 3'! secured to a stem 38 which is secured to the lower end of such plunger and passes through a closure plug 45 closing the bottom of the bore 2|. A bleeder valve 39 of the usual type is inserted in the wall of the body H] to bleed the pressure from the cylinder 23 as desired. Any suitable means (not shown) may be used to prevent relative rotation between the plunger 20 and the body. For instance, the plunger may be made of a non-circular cross-section, or the plunger may be provided with an axially extending groove to receive a pin carried by the inner end of a plug it) which closes the bolt passageway 29. Figs. 1 and 3 indicate at 46 such pin occupying a longitudinal groove 41 in the plunger 25. Fig. i indicates an alternative arrangement where the recess in the wall of the plunger extends entirely around it in the form of a groove 33-A. In the latter case it is not necessary to provide means preventing the rotation of the plunger.

I claim:

1. In a load release mechanism; a body, a bolt axially movable in said body, a pair of plungers each mounted for axial movement in said body with their axes intersecting the axis extended of said bolt and at opposite ends thereof, said plungers being spaced apart a distance less than the length of said bolt, each of said plungers having a bolt receiving recess in its side wall, one of said plungers extending substantially vertically and comprising a load carrying member separable by gravity from said body when released therefrom and having its recess normally receiving the end of said bolt, load-securing means on the lower end of said plunger external to said body, the other of said plungers having its recess normally out of alignment with said bolt, and means under control of the operator to move said last-named plunger axially to align its recess with the bolt, resilient means to move said bolt out of engagement with the recess of the firstnamed plunger, and into engagement with the recess of the second-named plunger, and means under control of the operator adapted to act downwardly to forcibly eject the first-named plunger from said body in case the action of gravity is insufficient.

2. In a load release mechanism, a housing, a load carrying substantially vertical plunger mounted for axial movement into and out of said housing, a latch slidably mounted in said housing for movement in a direction normal to the axis of said plunger and mounted in locking engagement with said plunger to retain said plunger in position within the housing, resilient means normally acting on said latch to urge said latch to a disengaging position relative to said plunger, a second plunger reciprocally mounted in said housing with its axis parallel with the axis of the first named plunger, the wall of said plunger coacting with said latch to restrain its movement, said second member having a latch receiving portion normally out of engagement with said latch, and means under control of the operator to bring said portion into alignment with said latch, said means including a piston on said last-named plunger, a coacting cylinder in said housing, a fluid conduit to admit fluid under pressure to said cylinder at the will of the operator, whereby said resilient means may move the latch to a releasing position, and means actuatable under control of the operator to insure ejection of said first-named member from said housing, said last-named means including an electrically detonating charge carried by said housing and operative downwardly against the end of the first-named plunger.

3. In a load supporting and releasing mechanism, the combination of a body, a vertical plunger slidably mounted in the body and having a laterally facing notch, said plunger being provided with means for attaching a load to its lower end, a second plunger slidably mounted in the body and having a lateral notch, said two notches facing in the general direction toward each other and being adapted at times to stand directly opposite and at other times out of such registration, a bolt slidably mounted laterally in the body and adapted to register with each of such notches when they are directly opposite each other, a spring acting on the bolt tending to press it out of the notch of the first plunger and toward the second plunger, a spring acting on the second plunger and tending to maintain it with its notch out of registration with the bolt, a cylinder carried by said body, a head on the second plunger snugly occupying said cylinder, and a fluid conduit communicating with the cylinder above said head and adapted to admit fluid under pressure to force said plunger into position to release said bolt.

4. In a load-release mechanism, a housing, a vertically removable load-engaging member loosely carried within and extending below said housing, means securing a load to said member below and external to said housing, a bolt movably mounted in said housing and normally interengaging with said member to retain said member in said housing, a plunger movably mounted in said housing in spaced relation a distance less than the length of said bolt from said member, means for moving said plunger axially under control of an operator to move said plunger out of retaining engagement with said bolt, and a compression spring surrounding the bolt compressed between a shoulder on the bolt and the body tending to move said bolt out of coacting relation with said member when said plunger is positioned to release said bolt, whereby the member is removed from said body under the action of said load.

5. In a detachable load-release mechanism, a body, a bolt axially movable in said body, a pair of plungers each mounted for vertical movement in said body with their axes intersecting the axis extended of said bolt at opposite ends thereof, said plungers being spaced apart a distance less than the length of said bolt, one of said plungers comprising a load carrying member having a lower end extending beyond said body and having means for securing a load on said extending end external to said body, said plunger being separable from said body and having a recess normally aligned with said bolt, the other of said plungers having a recess normally out of alignment with said bolt, resilient means coacting between said bolt and body and tending to move said bolt out of engagement with the recess of said first-named plunger, and into engagement with the recess of the second named plunger, a spring acting on said second named plunger tending to maintain it with its recess out of registration with said bolt, a cylinder carried by said body, a head on the second plunger snugly occupying said cylinder, and controlled fluid conduit means communicating with the cylinder above said head adapted to admit fluid under pressure and force said second plunger into position where its recess aligns with the bolt to release said bolt from the first plunger.

6. In a load release mechanism, a housing, a load engaging member mounted for vertical movement into and out of said housing, load securing means on the lower end of said member external to said housing, a bolt movably mounted in said housing and normally coacting with said member to retain a portion of said member in said housing, resilient means normally tending to move said bolt out of the coacting relation with said member, a plunger movably mounted in said housing and normally engaging said bolt to retain it in a coacting position relative to said member, hydraulically operated means under control of the operator and carried by said housing to move said plunger out of retaining engagement with said bolt, and means including an electrically detonating charge under control of the operator and adapted to act downwardly against the upper end of said member to forcibly eject said member from said housing.

ELMER KNEREM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

